I cannot believe that 2013 is already coming to an end. It feels like yesterday when I wrote my first blog. Autumn is my favorite season, and observing the beauty of Mother Nature’s color palette spectacle on the trees is truly therapeutic to the mind and calming to the spirit. This is the time when we bring out our sweaters and coats, sip on warm drinks, and prepare for the holiday season that is ahead. It has been an active year for our organization. From fundraisers to student mixers, continuing medical education seminars to family nights at the bowling alley, I am proud to say that NAAMA-MI is active and growing. In the words of Walter Reuther “There is no greater calling than to serve your fellow men. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak. There is no greater satisfaction than to have done it well.” In this day and age, we are all busier than ever, always on the go, and barely time to sit and kick back. We are interconnected via phones and social media, yet we seem to be more disconnected than ever. Everything is moving at a fast pace with no intention of slowing down, yet we rarely stop to enjoy what it is that is most meaningful in life. Each one of our stories is being written every day and at the end of every chapter begins a new one. It is the uncertainty of what lies ahead that makes life exciting, fuels our desire to explore our surroundings, and drives our ambition to make a difference. As I reflect back on this year I think of all the things I have done, people I have met, and places I have been, and I am more certain than ever that while we make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. We may not always understand why things happen, why people come in and out of our lives, but rather than spending our limited and precious time analyzing it, let us make the best of it. It has been an honor to serve as the president of this noble organization whose members are selfless, whose vision is righteous, and whose potential is limitless. I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Gala dinner and I leave you with the words that have shaped my life: